London City Airport is growing and growing. News the airport is set to benefit from a £200m expansion is good news for Canary Wharf. The City will benefit from the increase in flights and business travellers. It’s also welcome news for those, like Clarendon, providing extended stay accommodation.
While much of the focus of airport expansion has been on Heathrow and Gatwick, London City Airport has been a quiet success story. Welcoming more passengers and flights year on year the airport is approaching capacity. Now expansion plans have been submitted to Newham Council and the airport could boast an extra 50,000 flight movements each year. That means the airport will be able to carry an extra six million passengers.
The expansion plans see a £200m investment in the airport. As aircrafts become larger, the airport needs to adapt its infrastructure to accommodate it. Its terminal at the Royal Docks will also be boosted.
London City Airport is a vital doorway into The City. Just three miles from Canary Wharf is makes it easier for business travellers to fly in and out of the capital with little downtime for commuting. It is the morning and evening business flights proving to be the closest to capacity at the airport. With further development planned in east London it is likely this would increase pressure on the airport. Failure to meet that growing need could hamper the ability of The City to attract and maintain international business.
The City attracts business from around the world. As well as Europe, business travellers often fly in from Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. These growing markets are invaluable for businesses, keen to secure new contracts and clients as the economic downturn comes to an end.
The benefit from the airport is not just to The City. It already contributes over £750m every year to the wider UK economy, through business and leisure spend. According to the airport’s own figures, £197m is spent by business travellers coming through the airport. £115 is spent by leisure travellers. Its quick access, central location and the ease of which you can travel to the transport, business and leisure hubs of London has made the City Airport an increasingly popular option for travellers.
This impact is also felt by the travel industry. Few business leaders are likely to just fly in and fly out in one day. Similarly for tourists, even though they can get in an out easily, they are likely to want to stay in London for longer. For those travellers enticed by simplicity, then the serviced apartment is ideal for the extended stay. Complete with fitted kitchens, en-suite bathrooms, open plan living areas and secure entrances, they offer a cost-effective and flexible alternative to a hotel. Clarendon has a wide range of serviced apartments in Canary Wharf, a short distance from the airport. One and two bedroom apartments at Lanterns Court and Discover Dock East are ideal for both the business traveller who wants to be close to the office, and the tourist who wants easy access to shops, central attractions and nightlife.